VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — According to the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, the man accused of the double murder in Virginia Beach in 1973 will be represented by the public defender's office after originally denying a lawyer.
Ernest Broadnax, 80, faces murder and rape charges. Police said he killed Janice Pietropola and Lynn Seethaler in 1973. The women were visiting the area from Pennsylvania. Someone found their bodies in the cottage where they were staying.
Broadnax's preliminary hearing is set for June 14.
The New York Police Department's Cold Case Apprehension Squad took the 80-year-old into custody on Monday, April 8. He was then extradited to Virginia.
Cold case investigators in Virginia Beach said they started looking into a strong lead they received in 2018. They worked with the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. The lead pointed them in the direction of Broadnax. Police Chief Jim Cervera said new technology helped investigators connect the cold case to Broadnax.